22 Aug The 7 I-Styles

I have developed an empirically-based influencing styles model (I-Styles) to demonstrate the way personality impacts on your influencing style. With almost two decades of experience as a presentation and influencing skills trainer and mentor I have worked with many, many thousands of people. In my work I mostly see the following seven influencing styles:

The Preacher – prefers to command respect and following by espousing a set of highly held values and beliefs.

The Manager – prefers to communicate objectives, gains ‘buy-in’, monitors performance and provides feedback as a way harnessing effort.

The Friend – prefers to gain support by being valued as a friend, and by being people-centred, collaborative and an active listener.

The Visionary – prefers to communicate a rich and desirable picture of the future of which others cannot help but want to be a part.

The Rationalist – prefers to use data, analysis, logic and rational argument to convince others.

The Bureaucrat – prefers to use formal authority and organisational structures as a way of building legitimate power.

The Teacher – prefers to encourage personal and professional development through exposing people to new ideas, perspectives and possibilities.

Rather than lock people into a particular style, the purpose of the 7 I-Styles Model is to highlight the different approaches to influencing. In fact, most people would see themselves as adopting a mix of two or more styles. Indeed, you may decide that you would like to pursue a particular style not natural or easy for you because it is more appealing than your current approach.